Hotel occupancy rates in greater Athens area higher than 2022 levels; marginally down from 2019

Despite fears of “tourist trap” fatigue this season ostensibly threatening Greece’s two pre-eminent holiday destinations, Santorini and Mykonos, the greater Athens area is reporting near-2019 levels – the banner year for the tourism industry in the country.

According to the Attica-Athens-Argosaronic Hotel Association, the average occupancy rate in the wider Athens-Piraeus-Saronic Gulf region for the first five months of the years is still down by 4 percent, compared to 2019.

At the same time, the association said the Greek capital is still among the least expensive European cities for visitors.

Expectedly, last month, May 2023, outpaced the corresponding month in 2022, and was also marginally better than May 2019, in terms of occupancy. Additionally, average room rates have posted double-digit price hikes.

Specifically, average occupancy for hotels in the region in May reached 88.5 percent, up by 7.9 percent compared to May 2022.

In terms of the five-month period, January to May, the occupancy rate reached 68.9 percent, down 4 percent from the same figure in pre-pandemic 2019.